


Dictionary Definitions

by crescentmoonthemage



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Bisexual Will, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nico is a Dork, Suicidal Thoughts, Will has a Crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-03 12:16:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4100620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescentmoonthemage/pseuds/crescentmoonthemage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Healing is a long process. It takes time, and effort. Luckily for Nico di Angelo, Will Solace is always there. Will Solace is there for the nightmares and the heartache and the wounds no one has ever seemed to mend. Nico is used to people giving up on him. Will Solace isn't letting him go. Nico is Will's problem. Will Solace takes him along when he goes to high school, stuffs him into a place and a life Nico di Angelo never asked for, and never wanted, and now never wants to leave.</p>
<p>He's not quite fixed all the way when suddenly, everything changes.</p>
<p>This is the story of two broken boys, learning that love is warm, even when everything else is freezing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Heal

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! Hope you enjoy this Solangelo! Will and Nico in high school! Also, prophecies will return later (dun dun dun.) Hope you enjoy! :)
> 
> \--CM

_Heal_

(heel)

Verb. To make healthy, whole, or sound, to restore from ailment

****  
  


Nico di Angelo didn’t know why he’d agreed. He was fine, for god’s sakes. All he needed was a good night’s sleep and he’d be right as rain. Unfortunately, William Solace didn’t seem to think so, and Nico had promised on the Styx. Of _freaking course_ he had promised on the Styx.

Will seemed positively glowing as Nico walked back over to him, (sun god puns, anyone) and he began talking about all the shows Nico was going to have to catch up on. “Have you heard of Doctor Who?” Will was asking. “So great.”

As they began to walk back towards the Big House, Nico didn’t even know he’d been spacing out until he felt a sharp pang of pain and realized he’d walked into the side of the Big House. He shook his head, and heard flip-flopped footsteps as Will Solace ran over to him. There was concern in his blue eyes. “What did you do, Death Boy?” he asked. Nico shrugged. “I guess I wasn’t paying attention.” He meant to say something else, but a large yawn seemed to split his head in two and he nearly fell over. Will caught him, luckily, with a strong warm arm around his middle that made Nico feel woozy.

“Come on, Death Boy, let’s get you inside. You look like you’re about to keel over.” Nico could only nod, it did seem that way, much to his chagrin. However, Will didn’t extricate his arm from around Nico’s waist, a warm hand cupping his side.

They slowly walked past a few other rows of beds, curtains drawn tight. By the time Will had settled Nico into a corner bed, Nico was already closing his eyes. Will seemed as if he wanted to complain, but Nico drew the covers up to his neck and he was asleep before Solace could say a thing.

Nico never truly left Tartarus. As if he could. Tartarus seeped into your bones and infested your soul, like a black shadow. Nico felt it. Nico had always felt it. His dreams were plagued by nightmares. He was walking through a rocky landscape, by a dark river. The Acheron. River of woe. His feet were bare. His arms ached, his legs hurt, his head throbbed. He heard voices. Hundreds. Thousands.

They were dying. The people were dying. Camp Half-Blood was dying, the demigods were dying and he had left them. He had left them and they were dying because of him. He could hear their screams. He could feel their pain.

Voices were laughing. A figure stepped out from the dark. She laughed. Gaia laughed. “You are mine, di Angelo,” she said. “You are always mine.”

She laughed, and suddenly he knew.

Will Solace was dying. For some reason, that filled Nico di Angelo with something. Was it pain? This time, Nico couldn’t stand by. He could feel the pain of Will Solace as he bled out on the ground. And suddenly, it was like the lifeline just snapped. He was dead and something in Nico di Angelo felt dead as well. He was dead he was dead he was dead he was dead

He woke in a cold sweat.

It was dark outside, and it took a few minutes for him to figure out where he was. Cold air poured through an open window and he could finally breathe. Stars shone brightly outside. He was in the Big House. He was in bed. His curtains were open a few inches, and a strange light was shining through.

He peeked through the curtains to find a strange sight. Will Solace was curled up on a chair. A warm golden glow surrounded him, and it seemed to grow brighter and dimmer with Will’s even breaths. Will looked like he was sleeping, but not comfortably so. His eyes closed and legs draped every which way over the chair armrests.. One of his hands was in his lap. The other was _holding Nico’s._

__

Wait, what?

Nico suddenly looked down at his hand. He hadn’t even noticed before, but Will’s hand was tucked through Nico’s, their fingers intertwined. It sent a shiver down Nico’s spine. On normal occasions, he would pull away, but Nico had been so scared that Will was dead, that Will had died because of him.

Sometimes, you hold someone’s hand just to prove that you were alive, and that someone else was there to testify to that fact.

Nico was about to turn over and go back to sleep when Will shifted, a loud yawn echoing through the room. Nico smiled faintly as Will blearily opened his eyes, blinking slowly and then flying open when he saw Nico watching him. The golden glow around him vanished when he awoke. “Morning, Sunshine,” he said, in a sleep-addled voice. “What time is it?”

“Well, it’s dark, so I can’t say exactly.” Nico said. “And aren’t I Death Boy and you Sunshine?” he asked. Will smiled a sleepy smile. “Only one of us is allowed cheesy ironic nicknames in this relationship. And you need to lighten up a bit.”

He pulled his hand from Nico’s (no, Nico _didn’t_ feel the loss) and rummaged in a canvas knapsack on the floor. He pulled out an iPhone and the screen lit up his face. “It’s 2:30 in the morning,” said Will, almost absentmindedly.

“Aren’t you guys not allowed phones at camp?” asked Nico. Will shrugged. “It’s where I keep my doctor’s notes.”

“Sure,” Nico said. Suddenly, his stomach rumbled loudly. “How am I so well rested? I’ve only been asleep for about five hours.”

“About that.” Will said. “You’ve been asleep for almost four weeks.”

“Four WEEKS?” cried Nico, sitting up hurriedly. “It’s almost August,” said Will, smiling. “You look better.”

“How have I slept for four weeks?” asked Nico. Will shrugged. “You needed it. To be honest, I was afraid you were going to die on me the first night. You were fading. I grabbed your hand and my fingers passed right through it. But, you got better. We pumped blood and nutrients and stuff into you. I was supposed to leave for school two days ago, but I convinced my mother to stay until you woke up.”

“Has camp ended for the summer?” asked Nico. His stomach rumbled again and Will laughed. “Two days from now. That’s when we’re leaving for school.”

There was a sudden pang in Nico’s heart. “Where are you going to school?” he asked. Will smiled. “Santa Monica, California. You’ll love it there.”

“I’ll have to visit,” Nico said, turning away. Will grabbed his shoulder and pulled him around. “You’re coming with me, doofus!” he said. Nico blinked. “I am?” he asked. Will nodded. “All the arrangements are made. My mom’s coming to pick us up on Monday and we’re going for a little road trip.”

“Why would you want me along?” Nico asked. Will shrugged, feigning innocence and failing. “Because you’re my friend. And because you’re also my patient. Your health is my problem. Also, you’d be lonely over the winter.”

Nico sighed, but something inside him was smiling. Will suddenly jumped to his feet. “I forgot!” he said. “Shush!” Nico said. “Aren’t all the other patients sleeping?”

“There’s no one else in here.” Will said. “Then why aren’t you in your cabin?” asked Nico, surprised. Will grinned lopsidedly. “It’s probably gathering dust by now,” he said. Then, he dashed off without a warning. Nico sat back in the bed, leaning against the wall.

As he looked down, he realized that he was wearing different clothes.  He was wearing an orange camp shirt which smelled like something he couldn’t place, and a pair of cozy black sweat pants.

The sound of flip flops alerted him and he looked up to see Will rapidly approaching, blond curls bouncing up and down. He was carrying what looked like a laptop and a large paper bag. He set them down on the chair he had been sleeping on and turned to Nico. “Shove over, Sunshine.”

Nico obliged, and Will slid in next to him. The bed wasn’t very big, and so Will was pressed against Nico in all sorts of not-entirely-unpleasant ways. He threw the paper bag at Nico and set the laptop on his own lap, opening it up and typing in a password.

Nico investigated the contents of the bag and smiled. Inside was what looked like half a grocery store. There was a bag of apples, what looked like three Big Macs, a box of Little Caesar's pizza, some strawberries, some orange soda, and a large container of chocolate ice cream. Nico’s stomach rumbled. “What happened to all the food groups?” he asked. Will smiled, not taking his eyes away from the laptop. “Carbohydrates are the best way to gain weight. You can eat bunny food tomorrow. Gimme a Big Mac.”

There were quite a lot of movies on Will’s laptop. Will picked one called Lord of the Rings and opened a bag of chips. Nico wolfed two Big Macs and three slices of pizza before thinking. About an hour into the movie, Will cracked open the ice cream and produced two spoons. To be honest, Nico hadn’t been paying attention to the movie at all, because there was a strange twisting feeling in his stomach that wasn’t because he’d eaten more than he had in months.

He was happy.

That wasn’t a feeling he was used to.

About another hour in, Nico’s eyes began to droop. Will looked fascinated, and waved his hands excitedly whenever the tall dark haired character came on screen, describing him as “Sex on wheels.” The ice cream had been set back in the bag, and Nico was half-heartedly munching an apple.

Will hadn’t moved away, which was good. If anything, he had moved closer. Just as Nico was about to fall asleep, Will’s hand darted out and captured Nico’s, intertwining their fingers and running his thumb over the back of Nico’s wrist.

**  
** Nico was asleep before the logical part of his brain could decide that whatever this was wasn’t a good idea.


	2. Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico is in denial. Will is stubbornly helpful. With bonus!Will's mom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you so much for the positive comments and kudos! I'm so glad you are enjoying it! So sorry to have taken so long with this update. Since summer is just beginning, I had almost no motivation to do anything but sleep for a very, very long time. The next one will hopefully be up in a shorter period of time- but I need to do some planning on where this story will go, so no promises. Anyway, here's Chapter 2!
> 
> \--CM

 

_Alive_   


 

 

(əˈlīv)

 

_adjective_

 

(of a person, animal, or plant) living, not dead.)

 

Someone was shaking him awake. He opened his eyes, groaning, to see Will standing above him, blond curls flopping into his eyes unfairly. “Come on, Sunshine, we have to go. My mom’s here to pick us up!”

Nico raised an eyebrow. Will just shrugged. “Okay, maybe I let you sleep for like a day. You don’t look so pale, if that’s a consolation.” When Nico didn’t move, Will grabbed his arm. “Get up, lazy-ass!” Pain shot up Nico’s arm and he pulled away. A concerned look dominated Will’s soft features. Suddenly he remembered the werewolf scratches. He examined his shoulder. The scratches were faded into mostly scars, but they still hurt. He rubbed them angrily. “Be careful,” he snapped.

Will looked confused. “Sorry, I forgot.”

Nico didn’t speak as he got out of bed. Will was brandishing a pair of shoes and socks at him. The back of Nico’s brain registered that they were red Converse, and he absentmindedly put them on, following Will outside.

The camp was clearing quickly. Campers were streaming up the hill, carrying parcels and suitcases. Nico looked around for Jason, or anyone he knew, but there was no one he recognized anywhere. A few Aphrodite girls gave him dirty looks as they passed, and he felt his cheeks redden. “Come on,” Will said. “We’ve got to go.”

Nico followed him up the hill as Will chattered on, not hearing a single thing.

Will’s mother was waiting at the top of the hill, in a red Subaru. Will slipped in the passenger’s side, leaving Nico the back. He looked around, for the first time realizing that he was leaving. He was going away, for the year, like every other kid did. He felt as if he should be sad, but, strangely enough, he didn’t feel anything. It wasn’t leaving, he reminded himself. It was an extended vacation.

After a moment, he realized that Nico’s mother was speaking to him. He pricked up his ears. “Sorry, what did you say?”

She smiled from the front seat, the lines around her eyes crinkling in a friendly way. “I was just saying that my name is Anne, and it’s lovely to meet you. My son has told me a lot about you.” It might have been his imagination, or was it true that Will sank down a bit in his seat, seemingly embarrassed. “I’m Nico,” he said, finally. “Thank you for offering to take me in.”

She laughed, a sound like tinkling bells. “I think William would have dogged me about it all year if I had left you here.” Will groaned, turning around to flash a grin at Nico. “No, Mom, I just didn’t want him to be lonely.” The tops of his ears were red.

Nico didn’t feel sad as the car drove away from Camp Half-Blood.

It only took a few hours to get to New York, and in that short time Nico learned quite a lot about Will and his family. Will wouldn’t stop talking, he had that gene from Apollo, because his mother seemed more reserved, but still friendly. She was a neuroscientist, it seemed, and when Will grew up he wanted to work in an emergency ward. He said he liked spontaneity, it was the only thing that kept him on track. He was a sophomore in high school, which was the same grade that Nico would be getting into, if he tested into it. Will’s mother had already arranged the testing dates and had gotten Nico a few books to help him review. Apparently Will had told her that he hadn’t been to public school in five years, and would probably be a little rusty. Nico wasn’t exactly glad to be going back to school, but with Will for company it would probably prove to be a bearable experience.

Nico’s stomach rumbled loudly, which made Will laugh. He rummaged in a large bag sitting next to Nico, and pulled out a bag of beef jerky, throwing it at Nico. Nico put his hand up and caught it just in time. “Gosh,” Will exclaimed. “I’ll have to start calling you Lightening now, for your reflexes.”

Nico was reluctant to smile, not having had much practice in the last few years, but when Will, still facing backward in his seat, reached a hand up and tweaked his nose, a small smile spread across his face, growing larger when Will grinned as well. Apparently happiness was contagious.

They stayed like that for a moment, Nico being forced to look into Will’s eyes. They were as blue as the sky on a clear day, and seemed to hold as much depth. There was a large smattering of freckles dashed across Will’s tan cheeks like stars, and _no, of course Nico wasn’t counting them._

Will smiled, it was all he ever seemed to do, then let go of Nico’s nose and turned back around, abruptly. Nico looked out the window. New York was slowly growing around them, smaller buildings and houses streaking past. “Where are we going?” he suddenly asked. “We can’t be driving all the way to California.”

Will’s mother laughed. “No, Nico. We’re going to the airport. It’s not far from here, actually. We should be there in less than twenty minutes.” Nico said nothing, but ripped open the bag of beef jerky. Hopefully Zeus would grant him safe flight, at least once. He’d never been on a plane before, but Zeus and Hades being bitter rivals surely wouldn’t help matters much.

Will seemed to have caught wind of his thoughts, for he turned around in his seat again, blue eyes sympathetic. “I’ve flown dozens of times. Zeus knows that if anything happened to me, Apollo would be angry. Or so I hope. It’s always been a rough flight when we go.”

This didn’t make Nico feel any better.

\----

Laguardia Airport was apparently supposed to be an impressive building. Having seen the Parthenon, Nico wasn’t cowed. He also didn’t have any luggage, like Will did. He had so much luggage it took two suitcases, one of which his mother was dragging. He felt out of place, to say the least.

Inside, Will’s mother handed him a ticket. “Will says it’s your first time flying. Don’t worry, just follow us and we’ll get you home with us safely. Tomorrow we can go to IKEA!”

Nico raised an eyebrow. Will, standing beside him, bumped him with an elbow. “It’s a furniture store, Sunshine.” Nico nodded, and Will smiled (really, again? Who smiled that much?) and began to follow his mother, who had already started walking. After a moment, he noticed that Nico wasn’t coming. He stopped, turning around. “What’s wrong?” he asked. Nico shook his head. “Why are you doing this?” Nico asked.

Will shrugged. “It’s the least we can do. You don’t have anyone, or anything. I have enough to share, so why not share it?”

“That’s not a reason,” Nico said. “You could have still left me at camp no matter how much stuff you have or don’t have. Why? I’m a depressed fourteen year old insomniac and everyone else seems scared of me. Why not you?”

Will smiled, kindly, walking back over to Nico. “Because no one’s past saving. Certainly not you. All you need’s a little sunshine. And I’ve been known to have a sunshiny personality. Besides, I always wanted to make friends with you. God knows you could use one.”

  
Nico wasn’t sure what to say, so he opted for silence. Will grabbed his hand and interlocked their fingers, sending tiny shivers up Nico’s spine. He tried to pull away, but Will just shot him a sideways glance and held on tighter. “Come on, Death Boy, we’re gonna miss our flight.”


	3. Rich

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Will arrive in Santa Monica. Shenanigans ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone! Thank you for all your kind reviews! Even after one night, the positive response was astounding. This update took less time than I expected- the words flew from my fingers! I also did some planning for the rest of the story, and I'm going to keep writing tonight. So you can expect the next chapter up either later tonight or tomorrow. I hope you all enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> Also, don't flip- I did change the title, because this one just fit better. Don't kill me, it is the same story. Enjoy! :)
> 
> \--CM

_ rich _

(rIch)

_adjective_

 

having a great deal of money or assets; wealthy.

 

plentiful; abundant

 

 

  
****  
** **

Nico was expecting the flight to be somewhat like Apollo’s flying car, but that’s not what it was. At all. It was surprisingly… boring. The airport had been exciting, and the screening by security (Will insisted it was a routine check) had been annoying, but the flight itself was just sitting in a seat for five hours and watching movies. Not like a flying car at all.

****  
** **

The memory of Apollo’s car was coming back quite a lot recently, and it made Nico feel jumpy. He wasn’t sure why, out of all the hundreds of memories he had, that one kept reappearing, but it did. Frequently. At least Will hadn’t tried to talk to him- much. Nico had too many things to puzzle over to even carry on a proper conversation. His brain seemed muzzy, filled with strange memories and emotions and things he should be feeling. He turned to contemplate Will, sitting beside him. He had a pair of blue earbuds and was bobbing his head to whatever music he was listening to. His eyes were closed and as far as Nico could tell, he took no notice of the boy sitting beside him. A lock of his blond hair was flying loose from the side of his head, swaying in time to Will’s head movements. It seemed to be there to remind Nico of whatever the hell he was feeling.

****  
** **

He turned around and looked out the window instead. The clouds below the wing of the plane seemed a perfect blank space for Nico to lay his thoughts upon.

****  
** **

As soon as they disembarked the plane, Anne was smiling yet again as Will was excitedly telling Nico about all the things in Santa Monica. Nico could only listen, because Will didn’t broker any time for responses. It had been that way since about an hour before the flight landed and Will had deemed the music he was listening to unimportant. It was comforting, though, not having to say anything. Nico felt he’d been bled dry of words, from too many years of excuses and hidden secrets.

****  
** **

His stomach rumbled again and Anne laughed. “My son says we need to get you back on a proper eating schedule. How long have you not been eating for?”

****  
** **

He thought, for a moment. “Well, I was in a coma. Does that count? And afterward, I spent all the time sleeping or being dragged around by your sun. I’ve barely had time to eat.”

****  
** **

Anne clucked in shame. “William!” she said. “I thought you wanted to be a doctor!” Will grinned. “Not a nutritionist.” He poked Nico in the stomach. “But you are skinny, Sunshine. We need to put some meat on those bones, ripen you up before we feed you to our dogs.”

****  
** **

Nico suddenly felt at a loss for words until Will grinned, good-naturedly. Nico noticed, that whenever Will smiled, the right side of his mouth turned up more than his left. Nico pushed this knowledge away.

****  
** **

Anne told him as they walked that the house she and Will lived in was only about twenty minutes from the airport, and they could make some lunch when they arrived. That’s when Will cut in and told Nico all about time changes, which Nico knew already, but he let Will talk anyway. The most important part, Will said loudly, was that it was only 1:15 in the afternoon. “Enough time to go surfing!” he remarked, and turned a pair of bright eyes onto Nico. “I’ll teach you, once we get you some proper surfing stuff. Or maybe you can just borrow ours. Once my mom feeds you for a few weeks, we’ll be the same size!”

****  
** **

This earned Will a poke in the ribs from Anne.

****  
** **

\-----

****  
** **

Nico’s first impression of the Solace house was that, for its size, it looked rather cosy. It was large and made of brown wood. A tidy lawn ran to the left of the garage, with a set of stone steps leading to the front door. Once Nico got out of the car, he stopped, for a moment, taking in the surroundings.  Will punched him lightheartedly. “Come on, bright eyes. Lemme show you the house! My mom went in through the garage.” Nico turned to him. “What about the luggage?” he asked. Will shrugged. “I’ll get that later. For now, the grand tour!”

****  
** **

Will grabbed Nico’s elbow and hauled him through the front door, into what appeared to be a well-organized mudroom. He kicked his flip flops off and looked almost impatient waiting for Nico to untie his red high tops and set them against the wall. Almost as soon as they were done, Will was dragging him off again, up a few stairs and into a large room.

****  
** **

The kitchen was to the left, with a larger kitchen than any Nico had seen in a house. It was spotless, with a white tiled floor and a large island in the middle. He could see a dining table in a small alcove on the other side of the kitchen, with black chairs. The rest of the room had wooden floors, which Nico nearly slipped on in his socked feet. The living room looked inviting, with white walls and large red couches. There was a hallway underneath a set of stairs, and the wall next to the stairs was filled with niches for books and houseplants. There was no TV, which he was alright with, but a lot of books and a lot of windows. A large orange cat was curled up on a windowsill, and Will stopped on his madcap tour to scratch it under the chin. “This is Claire,” he said. “She’s the house diva.”

****  
** **

Nico smiled, running a finger over the back of the leather couch. Will was suddenly gesturing, “Follow me!” he said. “I have something exciting to show you!” Nico obliged, laughing at Will, who had dashed down the hallway under the stairs. There were a few open doors on the way; Nico could see a bathroom and an office, but Will was rounding a corner and opening a large screen door and suddenly they were outside in a large yard. There was a pool in the middle, with pristine looking water, and a garden underneath an ivy-covered trellis. Nico could see some lawn and a large tree on the other side before the large wooden fence. “Gods,” he said. “How rich are you, Solace?”

****  
** **

Will grinned, lopsided again. “Pretty rich,” he said. “My mom’s the top-paid neuroscientist in LA, with her own team working for her. So yeah, we’re pretty rich. But at least we don’t act like it. We’ve come from nothing and we’ll all go back to nothing someday. So if we ever have more than we need, we should share it.”

****  
** **

Nico wasn’t sure what to say to that. He’d never met someone rich who was actually nice. It was an interesting change. He suddenly noticed how close Will was standing to the edge of the pool. “Will,” he asked. “How deep is this side of the pool?”

****  
** **

Will shrugged. “Somewhere like nine feet, I think.” Before he could say anything else, Nico ran forward and shoved Will’s chest with all his might, watching the look on Will’s face as he fell into the pool.

****  
** **

Will came up, sputtering, pushing a lock of hair out of his eyes. He looked angry, but his eyes were shining. “I thought we had a perfectly lovely patient-doctor relationship, and then you had to go and muck it up.” Nico grinned, and he could feel the shadow residing over his soul back up another inch.

Will climbed out of the pool, and much to Nico’s chagrin, took his damp shirt off and tossed it on a chair nearby. _Gods, was he fit_. Nico tried to push these thoughts out of his mind, but he feared the image of Will shirtless was implanted onto his retinas by then. It wasn’t an entirely bad feeling, all things considered.

****  
** **

Will sighed, shaking his hair from his face. “At least this gives me an excuse to show you my bedroom. Not that I wasn’t going to, anyway.” He shot Nico a mischievous smile and walked inside without another word. It was only a moment later, after chewing on Will’s latest remark, did Nico realize he was alone outside, and so he headed in, back down the hall and into the white living room. Will’s mother was in the kitchen, sitting in a tall chair beside the counter. She looked up when she heard Nico. “Did you push my son in the pool?” she asked, smiling kindly. Nico nodded, feeling shy for once. “He deserves it,” she said, mirth in her eyes. “I’m headed to the store in a bit, to get some groceries. You need clothes. What size are you?”

****  
** **

Nico didn’t know, honestly, and that’s what he said. She stared at him, judging for a moment. “You fit in Will’s clothes, I can just pick up some things in his size.” She must have seen the look on Nico’s face, because she smiled. “Yes, you’re wearing all my son’s clothing. I don’t think he minds, between us.”

****  
** **

He felt himself blushing scarlet and she laughed. “I just wanted to say how thankful I am,” he said, because he was. “No one’s been this kind to me in a long time.” She nodded, her face more serious. “William told me all you’ve been through, and still so young. You deserve all the kindness in the world.” She smiled again, as if she knew something. “And my son always wanted a brother. Although, if he has his way, I think you’ll turn into something different.”

****  
** **

He raised an eyebrow. She suddenly stood up and gathered him into a warm hug. “Don’t take my banter personally,” she said. “I’m just glad to give you some happiness, for once.” He suddenly felt tears pricking his eyes, and he hugged her back, grateful. She let go after a moment, tousling his hair with a fond expression. “Your room is the second on the right, upstairs. I’m sure it looks like any other guest bedroom, but I was already planning to the furniture store tomorrow to pick up a table, so we can pick up some things for you as well. And before you worry for no reason, it’s not too much. You’re kind, and my son has a soft spot for you. And like I heard him say so eloquently, we’re rich. It’s not trouble at all.”

****  
** **

He felt himself smiling, and could barely choke out a “thank you.” He would have said more, but a pair of warm arms was suddenly encircling his waist. From the lock of blond hair tickling his ear, he assumed that it was Will. “Come on, Sunshine. Let’s get you settled in.”

**  
** He stole one more glance at Anne as Will dragged him up the stairs. She was smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, the next update should be up either tonight or tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> For all those curious as to what Will's house looks like, this is what I envision it as:
> 
> house: http://www.angelenoliving.com/sites/d7dk.localhost/files//styles/620wide/public/blog-images/637_ashland-ave-1.jpg
> 
> kitchen: http://www.kitchenbathdepot.com/images/header1a.jpg
> 
> pool: http://theluxhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Swimming-Pool-With-shade-trees-1.jpg
> 
> living room: impressiveinteriordesign.com (should be fifth picture down)
> 
>  
> 
> If any of the links don't work, message me and I can send a picture. Also, check me out on Tumblr! doobleohseven.tumblr.com  
> See you soon! <3
> 
> \--CM


	4. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico is having nightmares. Will's room is not orange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops. 
> 
> Well, the chapter that I promised "today or tomorrow" is actually almost a month late. Sorry. It was my birthday and then the Fourth of July and then my family and I left on vacation. I only just got back yesterday. So sorry for the delay! I will have another chapter up soon, I promise, at least within three days.
> 
> So sorry! 
> 
> Love you all!
> 
> \--CM

Com·fort

ˈkəmfərt

_noun_

 

a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint. 

 

"room for four people to travel in comfort"

 

  
********

********

 

Honestly, he expected Will’s room to be all orange.

****  
** **

It was large, but didn’t seem like it. There was a bed in the center, with a blue striped coverlet. There was a large set of shelves around and above the bed, made of light wood. The walls were light green. Honestly, Nico could have just stared at the contents of the shelves for hours without getting tired. In the few moments he let himself look, he discovered five books, a large hourglass, a tiny LEGO minifigure on a surfboard, and a large print of Monet’s Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge. He finally tore his eyes away and examined the rest of the room. The floor was wood, but there was a large blue rug which Nico wanted to use as a blanket. In the corner, Will was flopped on a grey beanbag bigger than he was, staring at Nico with something akin to perplexed fondness. There was also a desk and chair, and the occasional shirt or sock strewn across the floor. A huge window covered almost an entire wall, with a window bench that Nico seated himself on, next to a stand where an obviously well used acoustic guitar was sitting.

****  
** **

It was then Nico admitted to himself that he knew crap-all nothing about William Solace.

****  
** **

Will, who hadn’t piped up since he’d shown Nico the bedroom, suddenly spoke. “Do you like it?” he asked.

****  
** **

Nico could only speak the truth. “I love it, Will, honestly, but can I have some lunch?”

****  
** **

\----

****  
** **

Will had left the door slightly ajar when they had come back upstairs, for no particular reason. Anne came upstairs later that afternoon, with clothes for Nico. She was about to go in and tell them herself, but she peeked in to Will’s bedroom to find Nico curled on Will’s bed, eyes bright, with Will sitting beside him playing guitar, their legs touching. It was some tune that Anne didn’t know, but Nico seemed to, they were both singing quietly, two voices melding with one guitar. Neither of them seemed to have noticed her, and that was all the better.

****  
** **

She smiled and walked downstairs.

****  
** **

\-----

****  
** **

Nico found it hard to sleep that night, even though his body felt bone tired. His stomach was full, for once, and he was warm and content, but his eyes wouldn’t close, brain racing with too many thoughts to count. The darkness felt stifling, and he fought to breathe normally.

****  
** **

He was back in Tartarus. No, no he wasn’t, he was in that jar and he could swear that his mouth tasted like pomegranates, he was never going to leave, was he? His legs were cramping and he screamed but no one heard, he screamed until his voice was hoarse, banging his hands on the inside of the jar but no one heard, no one ever heard.

****  
** **

He supposed it was just his destiny to be alone.

****  
** **

Nico woke in a cold sweat, eyes flying open and legs splaying in all directions. He let his eyes adjust a moment, breathing ragged. It was an unfamiliar room he found himself in, the covers on the bed trapping him in.

Suddenly, a crack of light fell upon his face from the door opening, halfway blocked by a figure with curly hair. “Will?” he asked, voice cracking on the I and making the boy come into his room, the door shutting behind him and blocking the light.

****  
** **

Will’s hair shone in the near darkness, his eyes wide as they adjusted. “What’s wrong, Nico,” he asked. “I heard you scream.”

****  
** **

Nico’s face was probably bright red by then, and suddenly he was glad for the darkness. He turned over, pulling the covers up to his neck and closing his eyes, despite the fact that he was burning hot. “I’m fine,’ he grumbled. “Go away, Will.”

****  
** **

The boy behind him didn’t say a thing, but when Nico felt the bed dip, he knew exactly what was happening. He sighed. “I’m fine,” Nico said, again, but the lie sounded hollow even to his ears.

****  
** **

Will laughed, his voice cracking with tiredness. “Nico di Angelo, you are many things, but you are a pathetic liar.”

****  
** **

Nico chose not to reply to that, and he kept his eyes closed, steadfastly ignoring the boy behind him. Another dip in the bed, and a rustle in the covers and suddenly there was a warm arm draped over Nico and warm breath tickling the back of his neck. He was determined to stay stiff as a board just to spite Will behind him, but his own body betrayed him and soon he was falling into a deep, dreamless sleep yet again.

****  
** **

There was light streaming in through a window when he awoke the next morning, blinking to shed the fuzz from his mind. There was something he felt as if he should remember, like a niggling thought at the back of his mind, but he was too sleep befuddled to put a finger on it. It wasn’t until he turned around and saw Will Solace on the bed beside him that he remembered. He gulped, face turning red. He would rather the bed swallow him whole right then and there, or maybe he could jump out the window. That might be a better option, in the long run.

****  
** **

Lost in thought, he hadn’t even realized that he’d been staring at Will sleeping, which was kind of creepy. Will was flopped on his stomach, one hand hanging off the bed and the covers tangled about his waist. He was shirtless, which seemed to sear into the back of Nico’s brain against his will. His blonde curls nearly covered his entire face, and one of them moved up and down every time Will breathed. This made Nico want to laugh, absurdly so. He settled for getting up and going downstairs instead.

****  
** **

He didn’t get very far, though, because his thoughts were jumbled that he didn’t even notice that Will’s shirt was lying haphazardly on the wooden floor until he slipped on it and landed with a crash! on the floor of the bedroom.

****  
** **

He quickly got up to sneak out, but a loud yawn from behind him made him flush crimson again. He turned around, sheepish, to see Will blinking owlishly at him from the bed, a small smile on his face. “You are the most graceful creature I’ve ever seen,” he said, yawning again.

****  
** **

Nico was hard pressed to think of a reply, but luckily Will saved him by asking another question. “Are you okay? You seemed in pretty rough shape last night.”

****  
** **

Nico shrugged. “It’s no different than my sleep on any given night. I always have nightmares.”

****  
** **

Will’s brow furrowed. “Always? There’s got to be a cure for that.”

****  
** **

“It’s not a big deal.” Nico said.

****  
** **

Will shook his head again. “It is to you, and so it is to me. But first, breakfast.” He rose out of bed and Nico was quite shocked to see that Will was in nothing but his boxer shorts. He considered asking Will why he had taken his shirt off before climbing in bed the night before, but he decided better of it and retreated downstairs before any stupid things came out of his mouth.

****  
** **

Anne was downstairs, monitoring an oven while sipping something from a mug. “Good morning,” she said, smiling. “Sleep well?”

****  
** **

“Great,” Nico lied. He saw a pot of coffee brewing and asked if he could have a cup. Anne poured him a mug and he thanked her, blowing steam off the top of the hot liquid. Some loud footsteps followed a moment later and Will came stumbling into the kitchen, pouring himself a mug of coffee and plopping down on the stool next to Nico.

****  
** **

“Morning, Mom,” he said. “Morning, Nico.” Nico’s eyebrow raised. _So I suppose our little midnight cuddling is a secret,_ he thought. _Wait, cuddling, what?_ His train of thought was disturbed by the beep of the oven and Anne getting out a pan of something that looked like scones.

****  
** **

Will made a move to grab one, but he recoiled, shaking his hand. “That’s hot,” he said, as if it was a surprise.

****  
** **

This, out of all the things that had happened that morning, this was the thing that made Nico laugh.

 

 


	5. Apprehension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico goes to school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! I actually got a chapter up on time! Also, I'm sorry but I did skip the IKEA adventures because it wouldn't help the story go anywhere. Oh well. There's enough fluff to make up for it, I hope.
> 
> Also, I will try to get the next chapter up this week. I leave for a trip on Sunday, so no promises. But I will try. :)
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> \--CM

ap·pre·hen·sion

ˌaprəˈhenSHən/

_noun_

 

anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen.

 

"he felt sick with apprehension"

 

 

The alarm clock beside Nico’s bed told him it was 2:37 A:M. He had been lying in bed since exactly 10:03, and hadn’t slept a wink since.

His nightmares, luckily, hadn’t recurred in the few weeks he’d been staying at Will’s. He wasn’t sure why, and Will assured him that every night of full sleep he got made his face a little less gaunt. When he looked in the mirror, he hardly recognized himself. Anne had made him get a haircut, so his long and tangled hair was finally looked tamed. And his cheekbones, while still “razor-sharp” as Will called them, weren’t sticking out as badly as they had before. His eyes had even lost a bit of their haunted quality. He wasn’t happy, but if he was smiling a bit more than usual, it probably wasn’t a bad thing.

So no, the nightmares weren’t why he couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t even the fact that Will wasn’t in the room with him. They had never really talked about the night when they had practically cuddled. Nico wanted to, but Will seemed happy never bringing it up. Nico had been sleeping on his own for years, he didn’t need some blonde boy to come in and mess it all up for him.

He couldn’t sleep because he had to get up for his first day of school in five hours. He had passed the placement exams with an even higher score than he would have thought. In fact, Will’s mother suggested that he skip a grade and become a junior instead of a sophomore. He had vehemently denied that idea and so he was starting his tenth grade year, with Will. That was a bit of a comfort, at least.

While he tossed and turned, it had occurred to him that he hadn’t been in a public school since his and Bianca’s year at Westover Hall, and that seemed a lifetime ago. He’d been on the run for nearly four years, while other kids like Will could enjoy actually having some semblance of a normal life.

The thought, for some absurd reason, had ceased to make him bitter.

It didn’t cease to make him any less anxious, or tired, though.

Finally, the clock clicked to 2:41, and a sudden thought occurred to him. Before the logical part of his brain could tell him: “Hey, this is a terrible idea!” he pulled the covers off and swung his legs out of bed. His door was shut, but he opened it as quietly as he could, smiling once again at the glow-in-the-dark stars Will had adorned it with a week prior.

The boy in question’s bedroom door was slightly ajar, and Nico tiptoed in, praying that his socks wouldn’t betray him and make him slip on the smooth wood floor. Will’s curtains were up and shafts of moonlight were bouncing aimlessly across the room. Will was face down, spread-eagling across the entire length of his bed. Nico cautiously tiptoed over, brushing an errant lock of dark hair from his eyes and sitting down lightly on the bed.

Will grumbled, and for a moment Nico was afraid he would wake up, but he just rolled over on his side. Nico’s brain was screaming at him all sorts of profanities, but he chose not to listen. After all, if he couldn’t sleep here, he would just creep back across to his own bed.

That half of Nico’s plan never worked out, because he fell asleep easily under Will’s covers, and he was sleeping even before he noticed the sleepy arm wrapping around him and drawing him closer.

The next morning, Will’s alarm woke them both with a start, Nico nearly rolling off the bed. Will turned it off, looking confused that Nico’s was still ringing across the hall. He suddenly seemed to grasp the situation and turned towards Nico. “When’d you get here?” he asked, groggy.

“Like three or something. I couldn’t sleep.”

Will nodded, and Nico used that opportunity to dash back across the hall and shut his own alarm off. A few minutes later, he could hear the shower going from down the hall, and his mind was suddenly very aware that Will was in the shower. _Shut up, brain,_ he thought. _Freaking creeper._

__

He wanted nothing more than to collapse on his new grey bedspread and fall asleep again, but he knew better. He’d already taken a shower the night before, and he picked some clothes out of the closet without really seeing what they were.

****  
  


Only after he put them on did he realize that while the black jeans were his, the t-shirt he was wearing was the one he’d woken up in when he left Camp Half-Blood. Anne had said it was Will’s. Apparently he’d forgotten to give it back. It advertised the name of some old band that he didn’t know, and apparently he hadn’t washed it either, because it still smelled like Will, some mix of sunscreen and something coconutty that Nico wanted as a candle to keep by his bed.

He covered it up with a black hoodie and called it good.

It was only until he was getting in the car with Will and Anne that he realized that the shoes he were wearing had been Will’s also, and he banished the thought from his mind.

Instead of getting in the passenger’s seat, Will climbed in the back seat next to Nico. “You look like a ghost, Sunshine,” he said, thinly veiled concern on his face. Nico smiled half-heartedly. “They’ll hate me,” he said. “Who would want to be friends with the creepy little death kid?”

“I do,” Will said, vehemently, and suddenly grabbed Nico’s hand and interlocked their fingers. “Anyone who wants to get to you goes through me. So you’ve at least got one friend so far. And that’s better than most people have on their first day.”

Nico took the comfort without complaining, and rested his head on Will’s shoulder, as if his very touch could dispel demons.

\----

Nico had seen the school before, Will had taken him to orientation a few days before. Surprisingly, it didn’t look like a prison, which Nico was very happy about. His first class was Algebra 2, and Will had Chemistry. He dropped Nico off in front of his class door with a smile and a “Bye, Death Boy,” before sauntering off into the other direction. Nico gripped the door handle and pretended that it was a harpy’s neck he was wringing, and went inside.

His class looked like the intelligent sort, many of the boys in glasses with wickedly unkempt hair that would have intrigued Nico when he wasn’t so busy ~~looking for a head of blonde curls~~ trying not to be killed by demons. He sat next to a girl with purple in her hair who was twirling a pencil. She smiled at him and seemed about to say something when a loud bell rang and so Nico’s new world unfolded itself.

School wasn’t actually that bad. Algebra 2 was a bore, the teacher (an old lady with a cane and a grating voice) droning on and on about things Nico could have done in his sleep. After that was English, with Will. He pretended that he wasn’t excited to see Solace, for about five minutes. That little lie was put to rest when he walked into the English classroom and watched Will’s eyes light up. He patted the empty desk beside his and Nico slid easily in, skeletal butterflies making another appearance. After English came Chemistry, and History, and Gym, and then Art, which, thankfully, Will wasn’t any good at either.

And then came the end of the day.

Nico was opening his locker, (he’d prided himself on having almost memorized the combination) when there was a pair of loud footsteps behind him. He turned around to see three very large boys approaching. One of them was wearing a football jersey, which Nico wasn’t surprised at all about, but they had such menacing expressions in their piggy eyes that he thought he was facing Laistrygonian Giants for a moment.

One of them laughed in his face. “You’re new, right? I ain’t never seen you before.”

Nico nodded. “I just moved here. I’m really enjoying this town. A lot of really pleasant people.”

None of the hulking boys spoke for a moment, until one of them said: “New meat.”

Nico took a step back at that. _Have to act normal. Don’t shadow-travel, the Mist’ll never cover that up._

The biggest one grabbed Nico by the shoulder, meaty paws digging into Nico’s collarbone. “Come with us,” he said, and began to drag Nico away from his locker.

“HEY!” came a ringing voice from down the corridor.

All three of the goons were so shocked that they all turned towards the sound, Nico included. He twisted his feet so as not to be strangled by the hand on his throat. Will Solace was standing down the hall, tapping his foot. His orange sweatshirt was pushed up to his elbows. _Idiot,_ Nico thought.

“Put him down,” said Will, approaching. “Or you have me to deal with.”

This time, Nico actually said _idiot_ and Solace shot him a piercing glare. One of the goons laughed. “Will Solace. Think you’re some tough guy. Everybody goes through us, your little boyfriend is no exception.”

“I’m not his-” Nico tried to say, just as Will clenched his jaw. “Put him down,” said Will. “Do you want to be suspended from the football team again?”

A few agonizing moments followed, the boy’s meaty hand crushing down on Nico’s shoulder and throat. Suddenly, he found himself falling to the ground as the three boys walked off. “We know who you are, Solace,” one of them taunted. “And we’re not done with you two.”

They stalked off as Nico sank to the ground.

 


	6. Compassion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Nico go surfing, kind of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies! I'm so sorry it's been so long! We went on a trip for a few weeks and then I was super bust! I barely have time to write as it is- but I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Also, the song lyrics are not mine, they're from a Stucky fan song on Youtube called The War and the Winter. Check it out! It's super cool!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> \--CM

com·pas·sion

kəmˈpaSHən

 

_noun_

 sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.

****  
  
As soon as Will and Nico got home (walking, because they missed the bus and Will’s mother was at work) Nico and Will sat down on the couch with a collective sigh. Will looked about as tired as Nico felt, because the poor boy had been carrying most of Nico’s weight on the walk back. Granted, it wasn’t very long, less than a mile, but Nico “wasn’t exactly a bag of apple seeds,” as Will put it. Nico’s head was throbbing like nobody’s business, and he was pretty sure there were bruises on his throat. He was too tired to do much of anything except sit on the couch, but after a few moments there, Will stood up. “Let’s take a look at you, Death Boy,” he said, much of the cheer in his voice returning. Nico grunted. **  
**

“Where does it hurt?” Will asked, putting a careful hand to the side of Nico’s jaw and tilting his head to the side to examine his throat. Nico swallowed heavily, the touch setting off firecrackers in his stomach. “Uh, my head,” he said. “I’ve got a really bad headache.” Will nodded, taking his hand away from Nico’s jaw. The loss of contact suddenly left Nico feeling cold. “A mild case of hypoxemia,” Will decided. “No danger now that you’re getting full oxygen supply. It means that you’re gonna have a bit of a headache. Let me get you some ibuprofen.”

Will walked off into the kitchen, leaving Nico’s head swimming. “What’s hypo- whatever the hell you just said?” he asked. Warm laughter resounded from the kitchen.

“Hypoxemia,” Will said. “Pretty much that you didn’t get enough oxygen to your brain for a few minutes there, so you’re gonna have a headache.” There was some rustling around and then Will came back to the living room, holding two pills and a glass of water. “Drink,” he said, so Nico did. Will sat back down on the couch, intertwining their fingers. Nico felt woozy all over again. He leaned over until he was resting on Will’s shoulder, and Will grinned, taking his hand away from Nico’s and draping an arm over Nico’s shoulder instead.

****  
  
  


They sat like that, in companionable silence, for a few minutes, before Nico braved a question. “Who were they?” he asked, looking at Will. The blonde demigod frowned. “The football quarterback and his goons. The school’s known homophobes.”

“Why were they picking on me?” asked Nico. “They said I was your boyfriend.”

Will blushed. “They must have seen you and I walking around. You’re also new, so that might have had something to do with it.”

“That’s not a reason,” Nico said. “They don’t even know that I’m-” He suddenly realized what he was about to say, and stopped.

Will turned toward him. “That you’re what?” he asked. Nico moved away, suddenly shrugging off Will’s arm around him. “That you’re what?” Will repeated, looking a bit hurt.

“Gay,” Nico finally said. There it was. The awful truth. Now Will would just hate him like everyone else did. It was bound to happen eventually, Nico was actually surprised how long it had taken with Will. He stood up, prepared to leave the room, before he noticed the expression on Will’s face. Solace didn’t look hurt, or angry. Instead he was _smiling_. “What?” Nico asked, a bit more harshly than he intended.

Will smiled again. “That’s it? That’s the big truth? That’s nothing! Did you think I’d hate you for it? I’m bi, why would I?” Suddenly, he seemed to realize something, and he began to laugh, hysterically. Nico could only stare.

“Why are you laughing?” Nico asked, finally, still a bit dumbfounded.

Will grinned. “I realized that I never actually told anyone. Not even my mom! It just sort of slipped out, I guess.” He was smiling, and his eyes were shining. “Feels great to get that off my chest. Oh, I forgot to tell you! I found this great cookie recipe that we should try. Want to?”

Nico smiled. Typical Will.

That night, he slept more easily. Neither he nor Will said anything of the afternoon’s incidents to Laura, but as Nico was feeling much better, he felt no need to. It was with almost a light heart that he went to school the next day.

\-----------

Nico woke to someone jumping on his bed. He opened his eyes, blearily, to find Will, clad in nothing but boxers, jumping furiously up and down on Nico’s bed. “You survived the first week!” he crowed. “Celebration time!”

Nico groaned and threw a pillow at him. Will simply giggled and ran out of the room. Nico sat up in bed, grumbling. It was Saturday. He had survived the first week, even better than survived. He’d done all his homework, gotten adequate sleep, and even made a few acquaintances. No one could hold the candle to Will, of course, but having more people to rely on was always a plus. He had met one girl who recognized him from Camp Jupiter. As of Thursday, the girl, Sarie, had sat with him and Will at lunch.

He got out of bed and pulled on a shirt, ruffling his hair. He glanced at the time. It was a full half hour before his alarm was due to go off. What was Will thinking, getting him up so early? He wandered across the hall and knocked on the boy in question’s door. “Will?” he asked. “You do know it’s six fifteen in the morning, correct?”

His voice sounded much groggier than he had anticipated and he blushed. There was a loud banging from inside and the door opened a crack. A hand shoved out some piece of clothing. “Put this on,” said Will, from inside, before laughing and closing the door again. Nico picked up the clothing from the floor. It appeared to be a wetsuit. He groaned. “Will,” he said. There was a giggle from inside the room, but nothing else.

He went into his room and put on the wetsuit, tossing his other clothes into the closet. He rather liked his room. It was cosy. And cleaner than Will’s, the other boy had clothes and random crap all over his floor.

He knocked on Will’s door again a moment later, and there was an exclamation of: “Go downstairs, you lousy boy!” Nico smiled, and wandered downstairs.

He hadn’t had much chance to really look around the house in the short month that he’d been there, and so he took the opportunity and wandered around, peeking in all the doors. He found what looked like a spare bedroom in the hallway leaning to the pool, and noticed a piano inside.

He smiled, sitting down before the keys, before his fingers were playing as elegantly as he’d remembered. Westover Hall had a beat-up piano, and Nico had spent most of his free time in the dismal school playing.

He’d seen a video on Youtube a few weeks before, in one of the rare moments he’d managed to steal Will’s phone, and his fingers began to play the rhythm. Before the logical part of his brain could tell him _bad idea bad idea_ , he was singing, too, the words flowing from his lips, I _breathed my last at the end of a war and it froze inside my lungs._

__

_I always hated the winter months._

Before he could sing the last line, he glanced over towards the door and found Will leaning against the doorframe, watching him with a lazy grin and a flicker of something nice in his blue eyes. Nico stopped abruptly, but Will didn’t seem to mind. “You didn’t tell me you could play,” he said.

Nico shrugged. “You never asked.”

Will grinned. “Come on. The best waves are in the morning.”

“Best… waves?” Nico asked. Will grinned broadly. “We’re going surfing, Death Boy.”

\----------

“This is a terrible idea,” Nico said, as he stood looking at the crashing surf. Will was sitting lazily on the sand, leaning on one of the surfboards. “I’ll teach you,” he explained. “It’ll be fun!” Nico raised an eyebrow. Will stood up, turning toward him. “Tell you what,” he began. “There’s a donut shop up the street that does a mean Italian latte. One hour of surfing and I’ll buy.”

Nico’s other eyebrow raised. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Fine,” he said, all mock pompousness. This made the other boy smile and stick his tongue out. Nico shoved him, all of a sudden, watching with newfound glee as Will slipped on the sand and went down. Before Nico could run away, the other boy grabbed his leg and pulled him down, too, laughing. He ended up with his head pillowed on Will’s stomach as Will ran an idle hand through Nico’s hair. They stayed like that for a few minutes, as Nico felt himself drifting into sleep yet again.

He wasn’t quite sure how Will had managed to break through all his walls. For as long as he could remember, Nico’s guard was up, always telling him not to trust anyone, never to let anyone in. He’d lived by that mentality for almost five years, and it had worked. At least, it had never gotten him killed.

And then Will Solace had come into his life.

Thing is, Nico had never wanted to like Will Solace. The boy himself was insufferable, loud and demanding. And yet he had broken all of Nico’s walls in less than a month. Nico had barely felt as comfortable with anyone he’d been around, except perhaps his sister, and that was different.

Will was…

Will was something else.

He hadn’t realized that he’d fallen asleep until he was waking up. Will was apparently asleep as well, the even breathing suggesting as much. Will still had one hand entangled in Nico’s hair, but the sun was much higher in the sky than when they had first come to the beach. Nico wanted to get up, but he was loathe to wake his friend. Eventually, his subtle shifting woke Will, who extricated his hand from Nico’s hair (sadly) and stretched loudly. Nico sat up, smiling at Will. “Apparently we fell asleep,” he said. Will yawned. “Apparently.” He turned to survey the beach, which, then, was filled with people. “Drat,” he said. “No good surfing for today.”

Nico shrugged. “We can still get donuts.”

**  
**Will grinned. “And there’s a movie I meant to show you anyway. Come on, Sunshine!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check me out on Tumblr @ doobleohseven


	7. Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What is it?" Nico asked. He was surprised by the concerned tone in his voice.
> 
> Will scrubbed a hand through his unruly hair. "Something is definitely wrong."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the plot begins! 
> 
> I hope to have another chapter up this week, or maybe even two. Either way, I want to get you a few good chapters before school begins next Monday. Updates should be much slower from September and beyond, but bear with me! They will come, I promise!
> 
> Enjoy, and, as always, feedback is appreciated! <3
> 
> \--CM

wrong

rôNG

_adjective_

 

not correct or true.

 

As soon as Will walked into Nico’s third period class, the son of Hades knew something wasn't right.

Well, really, Nico knew something was wrong about twenty minutes before that. His history class was in the middle of watching a video about Napoleon, all the curtains and doors closed so the screen could be seen. The sudden square of artificial light from the hallway made Nico and many other students turn their heads around. When Nico saw it was a teacher he didn’t recognize, one of his eyebrows raised, but he said nothing. Nico’s history teacher, Mr. Lynch, paused the film. “Principal Smith?” he asked. “What do you need?”

The other teacher, apparently the principal, was silent for a moment, before saying. “Meeting. Now. It’s urgent. All other students are required to stay in their classrooms.” Mr. Lynch stood up, turning the lights on. “Okay,” he said. “Students, stay here. No one is allowed to leave.”

“What if we need to use the bathroom?” asked a girl Nico was unfamiliar with. Mr Lynch turned to her. “I shouldn’t be long. Don’t leave.” He walked towards the door, conversing with the principal in a low voice. They left the room, closing the door. Voices were already starting to raise. The girl behind Nico, named Angela, looked ecstatic.

“Dude,” she said. “No teachers!”

Nico didn’t remember later what he said, but he was sure it was something along the lines of: “Yeah, cool,” without really meaning it. He exchanged a few of these remarks with others before one of the girls by the window pulled up the curtains and Nico really became interested in their situation.

It was snowing.

****  
  


And not like cutesy little Christmas flurries, mind you. Snow was dumping from the sky with a ferocity Nico had never seen. It already piled up nearly to the windows, which, Nico realized with trepidation, were six feet off the ground. And none of it had been there an hour before. It had been sunny and clear when Mr. Lynch put the blinds down, not a hint of clouds, much less snowfall. Other students were noticing the same, and from their conversations, snow was not a normal thing in Santa Monica, much less in mid-October.

Nico was tapping his fingers on the desk when the door to the hall opened again. This time, no one looked, all too busy wrapped up in other things. Even Nico himself didn’t notice until Will Solace sat down in the desk beside him. He turned to the side, eyes wide. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

Will’s voice was steel, but Nico took this to mean he was scared. “I had to find you,” he said, blue eyes troubled. “This isn’t natural,” he said, and stared at Nico until he realized he was still tapping his fingers and stopped.

“I know,” said Nico. “What do you think is wrong?”

This time, Will looked down, and Nico was surprised to see his friend’s eyes filling with unshed tears. “Something’s happened to Dad,” he said, voice tight. “Something very, very bad, but I don’t know what.”

Nico glanced behind him, quickly, but no one was looking. He intertwined his fingers with Will’s, who let out a choked sob. “We need to get out of here. We need to get to camp.”

Nico nodded, quickly. “Let me find a shadow.”

At this, Will’s eyes widened and narrowed in a fraction of a second. “No,” he said. “Doctor’s orders. We’ll find another way.”

Nico was going to say that he didn’t think there was another way, but he didn’t. He let go of Will’s hand and stood up. “Do you have a drachma?” he asked. Will nodded. He stood up as well, a fluid motion, all legs and hips and something that made Nico blink and momentarily forget what he was going to say.

Before he could make a remark, Will was rummaging in his pockets. “The drinking fountain,” he said, as if thinking of other things. He started towards the door. “Follow me,” he said, extending his hand to Nico.

Nico took it, and he did.

\--------

“Are you sure that’s what we need to do?” Will asked, speaking to Chiron. Nico stood a bit behind, half-in and half-out of the Iris-message. Chiron’s voice spoke clearly. “Yes, William,” he said. “That is the fastest way to get back. And we need you.”

Will sighed. “We’ll be there,” he said, swiping a hand through the image and turning the water fountain off. He turned to Nico, an exasperated look on his face. “No one seems to respect doctor’s orders,” he said. Nico shrugged. “I feel fine, so it shouldn’t be an issue, he said. Will clearly didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press the issue. Suddenly, an announcement came on the intercom.

“Students,” said a tinny voice. “Due to emergency situations, school has been cancelled. However, buses have been snowed in, so we request you all remain in your classes until further notice.”

Will turned toward Nico. “Let’s go before the teachers come back.”  
  


Nico couldn’t agree more. He followed Solace towards the front door of the school. The snow was piled higher there than it had been in the classroom, and a strange look came on Will’s face. “What is it?” asked Nico, surprised by the concerned tone in his voice. Will scrubbed a hand through his unruly hair. “Something is definitely wrong,” he said. He appeared as if he would have stayed looking at the snow all day until Nico put a hand on his shoulder. “We can’t walk in that,” Nico said. Will nodded, slowly, as if transfixed. “There’s a shadow right over there.”

This seemed to pull his friend from whatever was holding him. Will shook his head, as if clearing his thoughts, and turned to Nico. “Lead the way, Death Boy,” he said, but with only a hint of a smile.

\----

Nico hadn’t realized how hard it would be. As soon as he entered the shadow, there they were. Voices.

_come back_

__

_come back to us_

__

_you can’t win_

__

They pressed at his mind, and it seemed that only his grip on Will’s hand kept him from falling unconscious. The darkness was too high, there was so much, he couldn’t fight it, he couldn’t escape Tartarus.

_you can’t save him. he was dead from the beginning. he was always ours._

__

_solace will never find you_

__

Nico didn’t remember screaming.

They arrived inside the Solace house, and Nico collapsed on the ground. His eyes were slipping closed, it was too much to bear, it was too much.

Dimly, in the back of his mind, he registered warm hands on his cheeks, a voice telling him something.

When he awoke, he was lying on the floor and there was a blanket over him. He blinked, once, not recognizing where he was. “Where am I?” he croaked, mouth as dry as if filled with dead leaves.

Instantly, blue eyes and blond hair filled his vision, and Will was there, putting a hand under his head. “We’re home,” he said, but something was wrong with his voice, and his eyes were wet. “What’s wrong?” he asked. Will laughed, bitter.

“See for yourself.”

Nico sat up, head spinning, and looked around. It _was_ home, Will had been right.

**  
** But it had been destroyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> check me out on Tumblr @doobleohseven


	8. Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly, it's not just Nico that's doing the fixing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Another chapter! I hope you guys like this one, I had a really fun time writing it! Also, it includes some cute Nico and Will! I will (heh heh) try to get another chapter up before school starts on Monday, but no promises.
> 
> Loves!
> 
> \--CM

cold

kōld

_adjective_

 of or at a low or relatively low temperature, especially when compared with the human body.

 

The room was in tatters. The lovely bookshelf had been torn down and its contents strewn around the room. Most of the windows were broken, and the couch was upside down. There were muddy footprints filling the room, and snow was piling up under the broken windows.

Nico felt like crying.

He stood up, slowly, Will interlocking their fingers. “Have you been upstairs yet?” Nico asked. Will shook his head. “I’ve been too afraid to see what’s up there.”

Nico began to walk towards the stairs, which were covered in more footprints. It was bitterly cold. Will followed, his grip on Nico’s hand tightening imperceptibly. They ascended the stairs together, not ready for the chaos that awaited them.

Both of their bedrooms were open, and it was a war zone. Nico let go of Will’s hand and  stooped down and picked up a guitar pick, one of Will’s, from the rubble strewn about the hallway. It seemed as if whoever had trashed the house hadn’t done so to find something, but out of malice. Nico found photos ripped in half and some of Will’s Star Wars action figures in pieces.

He stepped into his own room. It wasn’t like he had a lot of possessions in the first place, but what he had was ruined. Even his closet was upended on the floor. He bent down to pick up a backpack and began to shove clothes into it. An extra jacket went in, and two pairs of shoes, as well as some shirts. He stripped his shirt off to put on another, one of Will’s. The smell calmed him down, for some reason. He was about to look for his Stygian iron sword when he realized that he had left it in his cabin at Camp Half-Blood. He swore.

As he turned around, zipping up the bag, he saw that Will, in his own room, was doing the same. He had an orange duffel and was shoving clothes into it with a ferocity Nico had never seen in his usually calm friend. Nico shouldered his own bag and crossed the hall. “Are you alright?” he asked. Will turned toward him, something dead in his eyes.

“I just remembered that my mother didn’t have work today,” he said, flatly, as if all of the happiness had been leached from his voice and replaced only with melancholy. “Her car’s here, but she’s not.” One tear slowly slid from his eye and down his cheek, and suddenly, he was on his knees and sobbing.

Nico was shell-shocked, for a moment, before he dropped his bag and sat down beside Solace, pulling the Apollo into a tight embrace. Will was limp against Nico’s chest, hitching with sobs, his head in the crook of Nico’s neck. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Will had quieted. Nico set his chin on top of Will’s head, holding the other boy as if there was no one else in the world. On impulse, he pressed a kiss into Will’s hair. It smelled of coconut.

Finally, the older boy stood up, picked up his duffel and a guitar case Nico hadn’t noticed, and said: “Can you shadow-travel?”

Nico nodded, shakily, picking up his own bag and taking Will’s free hand tightly, before stepping into the shadows at the corners of Will’s bedroom.

Instantly, the voices returned. _you will fail you will die you will never win you will lose him_ and Nico shivered, but he steeled himself. Exhaustion and pain were pulling at the corners of his eyelids, but he screamed, holding himself together with the force of sheer will.

_Will needs me. He needs me, and I will not fail him._

__

They slipped out of the shadows, straight onto the deck of the Big House. Nico stumbled, breathing hard, and fell down on before Will could catch him, slipping into exhausted sleep even as he heard the buzz of voices around him.

When he awoke, half of his body was hanging off a bed. He sat up, slowly, testing his surroundings. Rows of beds. Curtains. Warm air. Halloween decorations? Suddenly, it all clicked. He was in the infirmary. Camp Half-Blood. He had made it.

He was very surprised to turn around and see a mop of blond hair curled beside him in the small bed, snoring. “Will?” he asked, softly, and the blonde hair grunted, throwing a sleepy arm over Nico. This made him freeze, and his chest constrict. The arm over him was sending little tingles all over his body, making his skin feel warm.  One of Will’s (he assumed it was Will, if not, _creepy_ ) legs was also tangled with Nico’s own under the warm covers.

So this was cuddling. With Will.

 

Okay.

“Will,” he tried again, and this time, the arm lifted from around his middle (damn) before the boy beside him yawned and pushed tangled hair from his face, revealing brilliant blue eyes. “Morning, Sunshine,” yawned Will, scrubbing his face with his hand. “This is familiar.”

Nico smiled, unbidden, heat rising to his cheeks. “I don’t recall this much cuddling last time I was in this bed.”

Will yawned again. “If I had it my way, you would,” he grumbled. This made Nico freeze again. If his cheeks weren’t red last time, they certainly were the color of tomatoes now. Maybe radishes. Beets.

He could have gone on and named red vegetables in his brain for hours, but he was saved by the sound of hoofbeats. Will hurriedly got out of the bed, threw on a shirt, and instilled himself in the chair beside the hospital cot. Nico flushed again.

Chiron cantered in a moment later, stopping beside Nico. “Hello, Nico.” he said, warmly. “Feeling better?”

Nico nodded saying: “I’m okay. Chiron smiled. “And you, William Solace? How are you?” Will shrugged. “Well, my parents just vanished into thin air, it’s cold as hell, and my house was just destroyed yesterday. In other words, I’m great.”

Chiron put a hand on Will’s shoulder. “You’ll be okay,” he said. “We’ll find them.” Will didn’t look placated, but Chiron continued. “We need you two at the counselor meeting in half an hour. Can you make it?” They both said that they could, and so Chiron left. After he was gone, Nico swung his legs out of bed, looking at Will, who looked miserable in his chair. “Your dad’s missing too?” he asked. Will nodded, bleakly.

Nico was waiting for Will to say more, but he obviously didn’t want to elaborate. After a moment of awkward silence, Will said. “Come on. Let’s go to your cabin. You need to get cleaned up.”

Nico stood for a moment, considering a few options, many of which his brain was saying NO to. He decided to take a risk, anyway. “Come here,” he said, voice soft. Will turned toward him, blue eyes wide. Nico held his arms out, and Will finally walked towards him, folding himself into the smaller man’s chest in a tight embrace. Nico could feel Will’s shaky exhale against his chest. “Sh,” murmured Nico. “We’ll find them, Sunshine. Don’t you worry.”

\----

The counselor’s meeting was grim. For starters, only about half the counselors were at camp at the time, a small number. Rachel had managed to come, though, which was something.  The snow had even traversed the magical borders of camp overnight, feet of it that the Hephaestus kids were quickly cutting paths into with bronze snowblowers. This was due, Chiron said, to the fact that Apollo had vanished. He’d been on his way to a meeting of the gods and had never gotten there. At this, Will’s face became ashen, and he took Nico’s hand under the table.

“We need a quest,” ground out Clarisse, carving patterns into the table with her knife. Rachel, sitting beside her, nodded. “Chiron?”

The centaur looked like a stone carving. “Yes,” he said, finally, sadly, as if someone had just  died. Suddenly, Will stood up. “I will lead,” he said. “I need to. It’s my parents.” No one spoke up, but heads nodded around the table. “Who will be your companions?” asked Chiron, human arms folded.

“I’m only taking one,” said Will.

This got reactions. Voices raised around the table, almost all the counselors in attendance (not many, due to the season) saying something or other. Finally, Chiron banged a hoof on the floor and everyone fell silent. “This is a violation of the ancient laws,” he said, sternly.

“Oh, screw the ancient laws!” yelled Will. “There aren’t even any prophecies any more, what’s to say I can’t take one more or less companion along? It doesn’t even matter! I’m probably going to die on this stupid quest anyway, of hypothermia or something!” he was nearly screaming by the end of it, and the entire room looked shocked. Finally, he stopped, eyes big. “I’m… I’m sorry. Lack of sun always makes me erratic.” He sat down, all of a sudden.

 

Chiron didn’t look convinced. “The last time this happened, two people died!” he said, voice chill. Before Will could say anything else, Rachel abruptly stood up from her seat, eyes green. “The prophecies!” Chiron exclaimed.  She began to cough, and mist poured from her mouth before she began to speak:

_One of day and one of night_

_Will both go west to face the fight_

_Three dark challenges they must beat_

_To fix a world devoid of heat_

__

_The broken pair will face their doom:_

_A magic, lost in evening’s gloom_

_In their hearts, they must find room,_

_or both will face an early tomb_

__

Rachel fell silent then, sitting back down with a huffed sigh, looking drained.  Chiron looked sympathetic. “Who will be your companion?” he asked, slowly. “It appears there must only be one." 

 

Nico wasn’t at all surprised when Will turned to him. “Want to go on a possibly fatal trek through some snow?” he asked, quietly, a small, sad smile on his lips. Nico nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he said, honestly.

It was decided. The Council adjourned.

****  
  


\----

It was late that night, and Nico was almost asleep, when there came a knock on the cabin door. He flipped a light on, climbing out of bed. Will Solace was standing outside, shivering. “It’s cold,” he said. “And I can’t sleep.”

Nico opened the door a bit wider and Will came in, gratefully, sitting down on one of the beds. He shivered again and Nico threw him a sweatshirt. “You seem different today,” he said. Will quirked an eyebrow. “How so?” he asked.

“You seem less, well, sunny,” Nico finally said, sitting down on his own bed.

Will sighed. “It’s actually a genetic Apollo trait. Too much lack of sun and we get moody and we’re always cold. And with my dad gone…” he looked close to tears. “Thanks for coming with me, Neeks,” he said.

Nico was silent for a moment, before he responded, quiet: “I could never refuse you anything.” Will smiled, but it was a half-smile and not anything like the Will Nico had come to appreciate. The blond boy stood up and walked over to Nico, sitting down beside him, their legs touching. “Thank you,” Will said, and it was almost a whisper. It scared Nico, to see this sixteen year old boy, his friend, look so forlorn.

**  
**“Come on, Sunshine,” he finally said, scrubbing a lock of dark hair from his eyes. “It’s late, and we need all the sleep we can get before the quest tomorrow.” He lay down, holding up the covers for the Apollo, who settled in beside him in a lovely tangle of limbs and hair. Nico finally put an arm over Will, who smiled, barely, and turned off the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> check me out on Tumblr @ doobleohseven


	9. Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Will begin their journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, friends! So sorry that I haven't updated in a while- I've been so busy! As soon as I had some free time, I cranked this out so you all could read it. I have no idea when I can update next, so be patient with me. Love you all!
> 
> \--CM

** gift **

ɡift/

_noun_

  1. a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present.




 

 

It was bitterly cold when Nico awoke. His nose felt like an ice block, and when he breathed out, it steamed in the air like tiny icicles. There were a few cracks of pre-dawn light staining the floor. Will was curled beside him. When Nico looked at him, really _looked_ , Will seemed smaller. Maybe it was the way he was tucked in on himself, or maybe it was the way his hair was falling over his face, but he seemed smaller.

In truth, Nico wanted nothing else than to stay in that bed until all the snow had melted into summer, but Will needed him, and even if it killed him, he wouldn’t let his best friend down. Best friend… the silent realization of it made Nico smile. It seemed that despite his best effort, Will had made a mark on him.

He gently shook Will’s shoulder, letting his hand linger for a moment longer than necessary and reveling in the sleepy expression that Will gave him. The Apollo blinked owlishly, pushing his hair out of his face. “We questing this morning, Neek?” he asked, voice heavy and groggy. Nico nodded: “Yeah, Sunshine. We’re gonna find your parents.”

Will rewarded him with a sleepy smile. “I can’t be Sunshine. That’s… that’s you.”

“We can both be Sunshine,” said Nico. “But first, we have to get up.”

With no small amount of complaining, Nico was able to drag Will up. Nico was immensely satisfied to see that Will was still wearing Nico’s gray sweatshirt from the night before and didn’t seem altogether too keen on taking it off.

The snow had finally stopped, and some helpful Hephaestus campers had already cut paths into it. It was quite an alarming sight, however, because the sky was clear, but the sun was just… gone.

It was clearly day, the stars and moon were gone, but the sky was a pallid sort of grey that made the entire world seem dead. Nico heard a noise of dismay from Will behind him and he felt a stab of concern.

****  
  


Chiron was waiting for them in the pavilion. “We have bags for you in the Big House. You’re to depart immediately. We’ll take you as far as the Manhattan train station, where we’ve arranged tickets to Colorado.”

“Colorado?” Will asked. “Why there?” Chiron stamped one of his hooves. “We have information that Hecate’s palace is located in the mountains outside a town called Winter Park. The Amtrak train should take you there.”

“Key word should,” Nico said, and Chiron shot him a look. “Good luck,” he said. “Bring Apollo back.”

Argus said nothing as the van rolled into Manhattan, but the tense line of his shoulders as he maneuvered through the traffic said it all. It was a dangerous quest. And if they didn’t succeed, as one of the Demeter campers had cheerily reminded them, the agricultural production would be down to a minimum and millions of people would starve.

Pleasant stuff before breakfast.

Luckily enough, they made it onto the train without too much trouble. Unluckily enough, there was a goddess waiting for them in the train car. Nico and Will had seats next to each other in one of the back cars, but in Will’s seat was sitting a golden haired girl. She was young, maybe ten, with a gentle orange dress. Her blonde hair merrily cascaded around her  shoulders and she was smiling, but her brown eyes were sad. “This is my seat,” said Will, slowly. “Where are your parents?”

The little girl smiled. “Welcome, William Solace. I have been expecting you. My name is Hemera, goddess of daylight.” Her voice betrayed her, it was much older and much wiser. Will and Nico inclined their heads. She stood up. “You may sit, I am sorry. I just wasn’t sure where to find you.” She smiled at Nico. “The child of dark, on a quest to save the light. Most amusing.”

“Do you find this a joke?” he asked, a bit more harshly than he had intended. Hemera shook her head with a small smile playing across her childish face. “Please, sit. We have much to discuss.”

Hemera took a seat opposite them, her legs swinging, not even touching the floor. “You are going to find Apollo, my boss, and so you’re going to need some help. In the past, many heroes have been given magical assistance, but with the source of my peers taken away, I cannot offer you much. I will give you what I can.”

The train suddenly jerked into motion, smoothly gaining speed. Nico looked out the window at the grey city with fascination. Hemera spoke again: “It is believed that Nyx is in league with Hecate.” Nico growled, eyebrows furrowing. “Shouldn’t she be locked up in Tartarus?” he demanded. Hemera shook her head. “Hecate helped break her out. Apollo found out and an emergency meeting was called on Olympus, which, as you know, he never made it to. Zeus believes that Hecate and Nyx have taken him prisoner.”

Will’s eyes were dark. “That witch will pay for what she did,” he growled, mouth a thin line. Nico felt another stab of concern shoot through his chest. Hemera nodded, a satisfied expression overtaking her features.

“To you, William Solace, I offer you my sunshine. You need it more than I in this time of turmoil.” Nico cocked his head, confused, but Will seemed to understnad. He looked shocked, his blue eyes widening in an unspeakable surprise. When he spoke, he was stumbling over his words. “My lady, you can’t. You’ll fade!” Hemera smiled. “My time has come. Your father would approve.”

She extended her hand towards Will, sitting across from her, and laid it on his knee. Instantly, Nico was enraptured. Beams of soft yellow and orange light were spreading from her fingers, and as she watched, Will grew brighter. Like, literally. His blue eyes regained some of their sparkle and his skin looked healthier. By comparison, Hemera grew dimmer, and when she took her hand away she was nearly grey. She turned to Nico, and her voice was quiet. “To you, Nico di Angelo, I can only offer advice.”

**  
**“Yes, my lady?” he asked. She leaned toward his ear, and her whisper was breathy. “He needs you,” she said. “Be there for him. Hold him, because he needs you. He needs you know more than you’ve ever needed him.” Her voice was fading. “There will be a moment when he will be scared, and you will be there. You must be there…” Suddenly, her voice cut off and when Nico looked beside him, Hemera was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> visit me on tumblr @ doobleohseven


	10. Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Will's train trip is brought to a screeching halt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies! I'm sorry that this update is so long in coming- I've had barely any time to rest. The next one should be coming a bit quicker, but don't count on anything.
> 
> Love you all!
> 
> \--CM

un·ex·pect·ed  
ˌənəkˈspektəd/  
adjective  
not expected or regarded as likely to happen.

 

Nico glanced at Will, whose blonde eyes looked sad. “What happened?” asked Nico. “Where’d she go?

 

Solace seemed close to tears. “She faded,” he replied, slowly. “She was one of the minor goddesses- not many remembered her as it was. But she gave her energy to me, to help me… and she faded. No one’s going to remember Hemera now- she’s gone. She gave all that she had left and she’s gone.” 

Will took a shuddering breath as the train began to move, lurching them both forward in their seats. “Why does it make you like this?” asked Nico, carefully. “No sun, I mean.”

Will sighed. “It’s a stupid genetic trait. Apollo’s children are the bounciest, happiest people you’ve ever seen in the daytime, and then at night we turn into zombies. It feels a lot like you did, at the end of the Titan War- like you haven’t slept in weeks and your body’s about to shut down.”

“How did you know that?” Nico asked. “How did you know what I went through?”

Will smiled weakly. “You’re my best friend. Of course I know what you went through.” It made Nico’s stomach do a little flip-flop, hearing those words. Best friend? I’ve never been anyone’s best friend before. 

He glanced out the window; the station was behind them and the train was entering a tunnel, picking up speed. A small smile spread across his face, but he said nothing. When he turned back to Will, the Apollo had pulled out his phone, plugging in a pair of earbuds. He offered one to Nico, who shuffled closer and stuck it in his ear. Will scooted closer yet, until their legs were touching and dull heat was spreading through Nico, making his heart do an anxious pitter-patter in his chest. Once Will had stopped fiddling with his phone, Nico reached over without saying a word and intertwined their fingers.

Of course the gods had to go and ruin all of Nico’s fun.

After they’d been sitting in companionable silence for about half an hour, Nico happened to glance out the window, and beside the train track were running a large black dog and what looked like a ferret. Surprisingly, they were keeping up, bounding along through the large snow-covered field next to the train track.

He took his hand from Will’s and turned more fully toward the window, accidentally ripping the earbud from his ear. “What is it?” asked Will. 

“There’s a dog and a ferret next to the train,” replied Nico, cocking an eyebrow. “Know anything about it?” he asked, turning back to Will. Will’s face had gone ashen. “Hecate,” he whispered.

“What?” asked Nico. Will shook his head. “The dog and the polecat are minions of Hecate. They’re spying on us for her.”

Nico turned back toward the window, but Will’s hand was on his shoulder, jerking him back. “Don’t let them see you,” he hissed. “We have to get off at the next station.”

“Why? As long as we stay on the train, we should be fine, right? They can’t get on the train!”

Will’s voice was stone. “I’m not sure. We have to get off.”

As if the train had heard his wishes, it ground to a stop, throwing Nico forward against the opposite seat. “Shit!” cursed Will. “She knows we’re here.”

Nico stole a glance out the window: the dog and the polecat (was that what it was called?) had stopped and were pacing in front of their window. Will pulled the curtains and stood up. “We’re leaving. Now.”

Nico grabbed his bag from off the floor, slinging it over his shoulder and ducking into the aisle. He turned to walk away and almost hit the conductor, a portly man in a red hat. “Where are you going, son of Hades?” asked the man, eyes pure chips of obsidian.

Nico took a step back, into Will. The man stepped into their row, blocking their exit. “You have nowhere to go, demigods,” he snarled. “You will die today.”

He lunged for Nico and a moment too late, Nico realized that his sword was in his bag and not strapped to his waist. He ducked, closing his eyes and preparing for the impact, when a grunt made him open them again. Will had just socked Conductor Man in the jaw, making him crash to the ground. “Come on, slowpoke!” he yelled, grabbing Nico’s hand and dragging him along down the aisle. 

Down the train car they went, sprinting past confused people in their seats. An announcement came over the loudspeakers, but neither of them heard. They crashed towards the back of the train until Nico saw an emergency exit and barreled towards it. 

Out into the snow they spilled, one after the other, crashing onto the snowy ground. Nico breathed a sigh of relief, having nearly fallen onto one of the train spikes. He didn’t get to savor the moment for long, because Will was already pulling him to his feet. “Come on! Hecate’s servants are coming!”

Nico took a stumbling step and began to run again, fingers intertwined with Will’s. They tore across the snowy field away from the train, legs and feet soaked and cold. They ran into a forest on the other end of the field, ran until the train was out of sight and Nico’s legs were trembling. Finally, they halted, in the middle of the wood. There was less snow inside, but nowhere to stop. Will’s breathing was uneven, and when Nico turned to look at him, he looked exhausted. “We’ve got to keep walking, dear,” Nico said, gently. Will nodded, slowly, and took a wobbling step forward, then another.

The grey sky had darkened even more by the time they stumbled across a highway. It was dark, and all they could see were the headlights of one car, far down the road. They began to stumble towards it, slowly at first, legs shaking.

The car didn’t stop for them- it honked and hit them with a spray of muddy water as it flew through a puddle. Will shivered, looking for all the world like a forlorn child, muddied and alone. Nico was the one that kept them trudging along, down the icy road. It was a strange twist of fate, that. For months, Will had been Nico’s savior, the one thing that kept Nico getting up in the morning, the one thing healing him and making him feel safe.

 

Now it was time to return the favor, it seemed.

Dawn didn’t come that day, as Nico had expected. It just got less grey until it was light enough for them to walk by but not enough to keep Will from stumbling almost every step. He still shivered, so Nico took off his sweatshirt and bundled Will in it, grimacing at his bare arms exposed to the cold.

More and more cars began to pass them on the road, and Nico decided that if he could just keep hoping, maybe someone would come to save them. Maybe someone would stop and give them a ride, maybe.

When a large semi truck pulled beside them on the shoulder, Nico could hardly believe his luck. The passenger’s side door opened and a gruff voice intoned: “Get in, and make it quick.”

\------

“So what’s your story?” asked the bearded driver, once they were moving. His name tag said: Hello! My name is Liam! Nico was in the middle, Will already slumped, snoring, against the window. Nico put his hands on the heating console, rubbing them together. Nico struggled to come up with something that wouldn’t sound like a blatent lie. “We were driving,” he said, finally. “Will’s got his license. Our car broke down in the middle of the night and there was no service. No one would help us, so we just started walking. It was very cold. We have next to no money with us, we were sleeping in our car.”

Liam sighed. “Happens too often with these shitty new cars, I’m afraid. Why were you driving in the middle of the night, anyway?”

Nico racked his brain. “We’re from New York,” he said, deciding to say the truth. Or rather, a version of it. “Will’s father went missing in Colorado the day before last. We were on our way down to give his mother support and help look. Now it looks like we’ll never get there.”

He threw as much pity in his voice as he could, and Liam the bearded driver looked at him with sympathy. “I’m going to Kansas City, boy. I’ll take you as far as there and I’ll see if I can call in a few favors to get you to where you need to go.”

Nico’s heart wavered, and he found himself smiling in real thanks. “You are forever in our debt,” he said. “Thank you.”

The driver didn’t ask any more questions, but when he stopped at a gas station, he let Nico get three donuts and a cup of coffee. Not as good as an Italian latte, but still.

Will was still snoring, and Nico glanced at him, covering him more securely with the sweatshirt. He saved Will the chocolate sprinkled donut, because it was his favorite.


End file.
